Tiarella plant named &#39;Pacific Crest&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Tiarella  plant characterized by glossy leaves, large, palmately-lobed leaves with the terminal lobe the longest, an excellent trailing habit, dark brown markings following the veins filling up to ¾ of the leaf, and excellent vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Tiarella spp.

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Pacific Crest’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of a hardy herbaceous perennial of the genus Tiarella, and known by the cultivar name ‘Pacific Crest’. The genus Tiarella is a member of the family Saxifragaceae.

The new cultivar originated from a planned breeding program as a cross between Tiarella 29-04 as the seed parent and Tiarella 29-02, as the pollen parent. Both parents are proprietary, unreleased Tiarella.

Compared to Tiarella ‘Oregon Trail’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/927,575), the new cultivar has leaves that are larger, glossy, flatter, with the lobes narrower, and with a greater area of red brown in the leaf center.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This plant is uniquely characterized by the following:

1. glossy leaves,

2. large, palmately-lobed leaves, with the terminal lobe the longest,

3. an excellent trailing habit,

4. dark brown markings following the veins filling up to ¾ of the leaf,

5. and excellent vigor.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and micropropagation). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and micropropagation using standard techniques with terminal and lateral shoots as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows Tiarella ‘Pacific Crest’ grown outside in the trial bed in May in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows a close up of the foliage and flowers in April from plants grown indoors.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Tiarella cultivar based on observations of 6-month-old plants grown in one gallon containers in a warm greenhouse in April in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an average low of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 4 to 9.         -   Form.—trailing.         -   Size.—55 cm wide and 15 cm high from the soil to the top of             the foliage.         -   Vigor.—excellent.         -   Roots.—fibrous, freely branching, fine, and white in color;             roots develop easily from stem cuttings. -   Stem:     -   -   Type.—decumbent with adventitious roots at the nodes.         -   Size.—grows to 3 mm wide and 30 cm long.         -   Surface.—pubescent.         -   Internodes.—2 cm to 3 cm long.         -   Color.—between Brown 200B and Greyed Purple 187B. -   Basal leaves:     -   -   Type.—simple.         -   Arrangement.—rosette.         -   Shape.—ovate overall.         -   Lobing.—variable and deeply cut, 7 main lobes, terminal lobe             the longest, all with secondary lobes.         -   Margins.—irregularly deeply crenate.         -   Venation.—palmate.         -   Apex.—acute.         -   Base.—cordate, overlapping.         -   Blade.—grows to 9.5 cm long and 9 cm wide.         -   Surface.—hispid top and bottom, glossy.         -   Petiole description.—10 to 16 cm long and 2.5 mm wide,             hirsute, Grey Brown N199B.         -   Leaf color.—topside, Green 137A with the leaf center pattern             Greyed Purple N187A; bottom side Yellow Green 147B with             markings tinted Greyed Purple N187A. -   Stem leaves:     -   -   Type.—simple.         -   Arrangement.—alternate.         -   Shape.—ovate overall.         -   Lobing.—variable, 7 lobes, deeply cut with open sinuses, the             terminal lobe the longest, each lobe with secondary lobes.         -   Margins.—serrate and lobed.         -   Venation.—palmate.         -   Apex.—mucronulate.         -   Base.—cordate, overlapping.         -   Blade.—grows to 11 cm long and 10.5 cm wide.         -   Surface.—hispid top and bottom, glossy.         -   Petiole description.—7 to 9 cm long and 2 mm wide, hirsute,             between Brown 200B and. Greyed Purple 187B.         -   Leaf color.—topside, Green 137A with the leaf center pattern             Greyed Purple N187A; bottom side Yellow Green 147B with             markings tinted Greyed Purple N187A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—raceme.         -   Flower number.—about 30 per raceme.         -   Size of inflorescences.—grows to 17 cm long and 3 cm wide.         -   Number of inflorescences.—20 in first spring flush.         -   Bloom period.—March to mid June in Canby, Oreg.         -   Peduncle.—unbranched to once branched, grows to 18 cm long             and 2.5 mm wide at the base, hispid, between Brown 200B and             Greyed Purple 187B.         -   Pedicel.—5 mm long and 1 mm wide, hispid, White N155B.         -   Lastingness.—a raceme blooms for about 3 weeks. -   Flower Bud:     -   -   Size.—5 mm deep and 3 mm wide.         -   Description.—ovoid, down facing until open.         -   Surface.—glandular.         -   Color.—light pink, White N155B. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—perfect, actinomorphic, sepals petaloid.         -   Shape.—rotate.         -   Flower size.—8 mm wide and 6 mm deep including stamens and             pistil.         -   Corolla.—5 petals, each 4 mm long and 1 mm wide, lanceolate             with a clawed base, margin entire, tip acuminate, glabrous             on both sides, White NN155D inside and outside.         -   Calyx.—5 mm wide and 2 mm deep, 5 sepals, backs glandular,             inside glabrous, petaloid, parted almost to the base; lobes             obovate, tips obtuse, margins entire, 2.5 mm long and 1.5 mm             wide, White NN155C.         -   Stamens.—10, conspicuously exerted; filaments 5 mm long,             White NN155D; anthers undehisced Red 37B; pollen Yellow             Orange 22A.         -   Pistil.—1, White N155B, 5 mm long and 2 mm wide, ovary 2 mm             long and 2 mm wide, glandular.         -   Fragrance.—none. -   Fruit and seed: 6 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, Yellow Green 146C with     little seed set; seed Brown 200A, oval, 1.5 mm long -   Pest and disease resistance: This new hybrid shows good mildew     tolerance, the main problem for Tiarella. No major pest problems. It     is susceptible to root weevils, like all Tiarella. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Tiarella plant herein illustrated and described. 